The objective of this Research and Development (R&D) contract is to provide scientific and administrative support to the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM). NICEATM research supports activities of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM). NICEATM is responsible for ensuring compliance with the duties and provisions of the ICCVAM Authorization Act of 200 (42 U.S.C. 285l-3). NICEATM carries out its mission by performing independent R&D activities including reviewing proposed test methods, organizing workshops, and facilitating peer reviews. Proposed test methods include those submitted to ICCVAM by developers as well as those nominated by the general public or Member Agencies making up ICCVAM that require additional validation studies. NICEATM, through use of its R&D support contract, will develop and validate a variety of in vitro and computational approaches that can be used to more accurately predict human health effects while also replacing or reducing the use of animals in toxicity testing.